Disposable absorbent articles are designed to absorb and contain bodily waste in order to prevent soiling of the body and clothing of the wearer, as well as bedding or other objects with which the wearer comes into contact. Pant-like garments, especially those of the “pull-on” type, include a pair of closed side interfaces that define encircled waist and leg openings. Accordingly, pull-on diapers can be more easily applied especially to a standing wearer than taped diapers, which require manual fastening to secure the diaper on the wearer.
As the usage of disposable absorbent articles has expanded, their complexity has increased with the incorporation of additional features serving to enhance their performance and appearance. While such features have proven suitable for their intended purpose, the costs of the materials and the costs of the manufacturing processes of complex articles have increased to the point where the prices at which these articles are sold have risen to levels that many potential purchasers around the world cannot afford to pay.
One such additional feature incorporated into conventional disposable absorbent articles is a barrier leg cuff. Typically a pair of spaced barrier leg cuffs is oriented along the opposing longitudinal outer edges of a given absorbent article at the crotch region. The barrier leg cuffs extend, typically under a force provided by an elastic member, toward the wearer's body to provide side barrier protection that reduces or prevents leakage. Barrier leg cuffs are typically incorporated into conventional absorbent articles by attaching discrete leg cuff members to an existing chassis. Unfortunately, the costs to fabricate and install discrete members increases the overall manufacture costs of the absorbent articles, thereby increasing the costs to purchase such absorbent articles at the point of sale.
What is therefore needed is a simple absorbent article providing side barrier protection that can be manufactured more efficiently than conventional absorbent articles that include discrete barrier leg cuff members.